Using fiction to teach human rights
A BIRTHDAY
FOR BEN
by Kate Gaynor
Special Stories Publishing
(Primary)
This beautifully illustrated book
introduces deafness to young children.
The story explores some of the difficulties
a child who is deaf may face, and how
upsetting these can be. The story helps
to reinforce how important it is to make
sure everyone is included in games and
activities, and how easy it is to make
changes so that this can happen.
Questions for discussion
• How does Ben feel when he goes to birthday
parties?
• Why does he feel like this?
• Have you ever felt left out /alone, even when
you are surrounded by lots of people?
• How did you feel?
• Why did Ben not want a birthday party for
himself?
• What happened when he found his mum and
dad had secretly organised one? Was he
happy? Or scared?
• What did his mum do to help him, and all his
friends, enjoy the party and have fun?
• Can you think of anything else they could do?
Universal Declaration
of Human Rights
Article 1: We are all born free and equal. We all
have our own thoughts and ideas. We should all
be treated in the same way.
Article 2: These rights belong to everybody,
whatever our differences.
Follow-up activities
• Ask the students to design and make a birthday
invitation for Ben’s birthday, that would show
that everyone was welcome, and everyone
would be looked after and feel safe
• Have a circle time, where children talk about a
time when they might have felt left out. How did
they feel? What did they do?
• Ask children to think about ways they can try
to include their friends all the time. Explore
these options with the class. Invite children to
draw/write their favourite suggestions. Capture
these, and create a wall space to display them.
Use this as a reference point should issues of
exclusion/bullying/intolerance demonstrate
themselves in the classroom environment.
Other Useful Books
• Best Friends: A Pop-up Book – Mark Chambers
(Tango Books)
• Tom’s Special Talent – Dyslexia – Kate Gaynor
(Special Stories Series 2)
• Freddie and the Fairy – Julia Donaldson and
Karen George (Macmillan Children’s Books)
Amnesty International Using fiction to teach human rights